Checkmate
by pcmoran
Summary: An imagining of where the movie will go.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** - _There is a prologue of sorts to this story but it is very racy and has a mature rating. If you want to read that you can find it on my page. This story will not reach such graphic heights. Of course these characters are not my own._

Despite a restless night's sleep Veronica is up at 6:30. When she emerges from her shower she can smell the coffee brewing. Still in her bathrobe she stumbles to the kitchen of their tiny flat to find Piz pouring her a mug.

"Good morning sunshine!"

"Good morning, you're up earlier than usual."

"Needed to finish up packing...ready for the big trip to Neptune?"

"Absolutely!" she lies. She'd hardly slept at all last night lost in a fog of memories that she had long since pushed to the furthest recesses of her mind.

"Hey - Did you try and take advantage of me last night?"

Convincingly, "What are you talking about?"

"You really don't remember? That must've been one heck of a dream you were having."

"Why, what did I do?"

"Let's just say - you were 'making advances' and using very dirty words.

"Are you kidding me? I must have been talking in my sleep!" Her cheeks flush and she turns away so he can't see her. She knows exactly what he is talking about, Logan had invaded her thoughts and fantasies last night and she had tried to wake up Piz to make him proxy. He didn't respond well to her overtures so she had given up and finally fallen asleep - only to dream about Logan the rest of the night. It still had her a little off-balance this morning. As she dresses, Piz calls from the other room.

"Our flight is at 5:00 so come get me at the station no later than 2:30 so we can make it to the airport in time. Who's picking us up? Wallace?"

"Or my dad, not sure which." Veronica envisions greeting Wallace, both of them getting big papa bear hugs. Imagining her dad instead means he'll pick her up and give her a twirl then bestow a warm and manly handshake on Piz. She can't resist the third image that invades her brain - walking out of the terminal to find him leaning against his Land Rover, hands in his pockets, hair just a little messy, with Piz nowhere to be found. Shit. Stop it Veronica.

She has a brief interview with one of the smaller but well-respected firms in the city scheduled for 10:30. It goes okay but doesn't feel like a fit. She returns to the apartment to finish packing, it is only a long weekend so just a carry-on for each of them. She eats some yogurt and a banana for lunch then hails a cab for the radio station.

Piz had done well to snag a prime afternoon gig on an alternative station. He loved finding new artists and introducing them to his New York listeners. He could babble on endlessly about this group and that band. Veronica likes music well-enough but doesn't come close to matching Piz's passion. She often tunes him out when he talks about "The Biz". She arrives at the station around 2:00. The station receptionist Jenn greets her warmly.

"Hey Veronica! Excited for the big reunion?"

"That's one way to put it! Hey-can I stick our bags behind your desk for a few minutes?"

"Sure, no problem. I think he's about done. You can go on into the booth, just be quiet."

The broadcast studio sat like an island on the second floor of the building. A hallway went all the way around the booth and all of the offices lined the walls opposite. The booth had windows all the way around from about three and a half feet to the ceiling. That would've been a more interesting feature if someone along the line hadn't decided they didn't like onlookers and put curtains inside the booth over every window. She quietly pushes open the door and tiptoes in. Piz sits at the mic with his headphones on. He looks up, sees her and smiles holding up five fingers on his left hand, indicating that many more minutes.

"That's the newest from the Mowgli's. Next up...an old favorite from Neko Case."

Veronica mimes and points back over her shoulder and Piz gives her the A-okay. As she steps back into the hallway she hears her text message ping. Oh look, a text from Mac! She is glad she'll be seeing her so soon. The text reads: "Fair warning! HE called asking for your number. I think I might know why. CALL ME as soon as you're able."

Veronica stands dumb-founded. There's only one HE she could mean but why would he need her number? Her stomach tumbles and her palms start to sweat as she goes to call back Mac but before she clicks on her contact, her phone begins to ring. A number appears on her phone - no name identified but it does say San Diego. She is facing one of the studio windows, if the curtains weren't drawn she'd be staring right at Piz. All she can see though is her own faint reflection.

"Hello?" She answers, not sounding like herself at all.

"um...hello..is this Veronica? I'm trying to reach Veronica Mars..."

"This is...Veronica..."

"Veronica, hey...it's Logan...Logan Echolls."

Silence. Silence because she is speechless hearing his voice again after such a long time.

"Hello...can you hear me?"

"Um...yes...sorry...yes, I hear you. What..um..why...um...how are you?"

"Listen, I know this is out of left field but I'm kind of in a jam...I need your help Veronica..."

"I don't really do that anymore."

"I know, that's what everyone says but you're...you're my only hope...Veronica, please."

Everyone? Who does he talk to?

"What kind of jam?"

"Well, for a while now I've been involved with the lead singer of Knight Bishop Rook."

His inflection went up at the end of the sentence as if what he's saying should mean something to her.

"And they are...a band or something?"

"KNIGHT BISHOP ROOK" he says more emphatically. She knows she is supposed to be cluing into something but she is too flustered to think straight.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me? Chess right? It's a reference to chess?"

"Oh my gosh Veronica, what _IS_ the address of the rock you're living under in New York?"

"Oh! You're still an asshole! What a relief!"

"I'm sorry Veronica. That was harsh. It just that the only person I know can help me is the only person in the world that hasn't heard anything about this. Standard Echolls karma."

As Veronica starts to speak she sees the door of the studio start to open.

"Listen, I've got to go. We arrive tonight, I'll think about it and call you tomorrow."

Logan is silent on the other end of the phone. Did he notice the use of the word "we"? Did he care? She knew absolutely nothing about him but what did he know of her?

"Yeah, okay, please call me as soon as you can."

Piz is walking toward her, motioning toward his office, meaning he just needs to grab his stuff. "Are you okay? You look a little like you've seen a ghost. Who were you talking to?"

"Oh...just Mac." She's not sure why she is lying to him. "Hey, have you ever heard of a group called Knight Bishop Rook?"

"Oh my gosh! Isn't that crazy news? It just came over the wire a couple of hours ago! I wanted to call you right away but I couldn't during my set? Did you know her?"

"What? What are you talking about? What is going on?"

Piz looks at her quizzically.

"Um...the lead singer of Knight Bishop Rook was found dead this morning...her name is Carrie Bishop...she went to your high school...she's been linked with Logan for more than a year..." Veronica's eyes were like saucers and she grew visibly paler "...do you really not know _any_ of this? How is that possible?" He is clearly annoyed with her.

She returns the annoyance, "I don't know, Mr. 'I know everything about music', how did you not ever mention to me that a girl I went to high school with is a famous singer that just happens to be dating my ex?"

They continue down the hallway, into reception, grab their bags without ever even glancing at poor Jenn, who is confused by their icy interaction.

"Gee Veronica...maybe because A) you don't give a rat's ass about music or my job and TWO - everybody knows to never say the L word around you, it's practically a fucking commandment. Thou shalt not speak the name of Echolls!"

Veronica feels wounded.

"Oh my gosh...that's who you were talking to when I came out of the studio isn't it? You were talking to Logan?" His demeanor instantly changes, he seems suddenly compassionate as they step out onto the sidewalk and he hails a cab.

She can't speak while they wait for the cab, put their bags in the trunk, and climb in.

"Why did you lie to me and tell me you were talking to Mac?" He asked her quietly as the taxi pulled away from the curb.

"I ...I'm sorry. I don't know why...I was just so surprised to hear from him and so confused by what he was telling me? Knight Bishop Rook? That's the name of the band? That's just ...wrong...it's sickening. I mean, is Susan part of the band? Surely Mr. Rooks isn't. I'm just. I'm very confused..." she looked away from him out the window to the city passing them by. She knows she should explain more to him but she needed to understand it more clearly herself first.

"So, why was Logan calling you? It must have something to do with her death?"

Veronica's stomach drops. Oh my god, not again. "If I had to guess...some pain-in-the-ass busybody has probably implicated him in the death of his girlfriend." A tear rolls down her cheek. She remembers being that pain-the-ass busybody herself and how devastated he was when she accused him of killing Lily (amongst other things). He knows that she won't believe he had anything to do with Carrie's death and it is probably this unique perspective that makes her his choice to exonerate him.

There is precious little conversation with Piz once they arrive at JFK. In 9 months this was really the first argument they'd had. And it was over Logan. Whom she hadn't seen, talked to or spoken of in over 7 years.

Once through security and heading to their gate, she wanders into a newsstand store, looking for something to occupy her mind and an excuse to avoid more talking. Maybe something girly with fashion and makeup advice or something foodie with great recipes to consider. Her eye catches the cover of Entertainment Weekly. 3 hours ago it would've meant nothing to her and even now, if the words "Bishop, Pawn or Queen?" hadn't been in bold print, she never would've recognized the rocker chick to be Carrie Bishop. Obviously this was a feature published earlier this week, before her untimely demise. She picks up the magazine and pages through to the article. She doesn't think she has the energy to read the story, especially because she knows pieces like this are often devoid of much fact. There are pictures though. Carrie as a toddler, Carrie as a teenager (yes, that person she recognized) Carrie in flamboyant costumes flanked by her band mates (not Susan or Mr Rooks), Carrie on the red carpet at the AMA's on the arm of a very handsome, grinning Logan. That caption read: "Bishop with millionaire philanthropist boyfriend Logan Echolls (son of slain Oscar-winning actor Aaron Echolls).

Veronica felt angry (slain oscar-winner? How about murdering, child-abusing, statutory lunatic?). More than that though she was sad. As a means of self-preservation she had shut down all news of Logan and believed that to be the right choice. But now she regretted not knowing the man he'd become. Philanthropist? What kind of philanthropy? Carrie? Does, or did, he love her? Were they happy together? They look like it in that picture. Were they planning a future? Veronica shook her head, she had to stop thinking about him. She finally closes the magazine and adds one of those word search books, a bottle of water and some life-savers. She reaches the gate as they announce pre-boarding; she and Piz exchange a look but still no words. Settled into their seats she tucks the EW magazine into her purse – she will read the article later - and starts a foliage-themed word search, "tulip", "frond", "herbaceous". She leans her head onto Piz's shoulder, asleep before the plane even takes off.


	2. Chapter 2

A few bumps of turbulence jolts Veronica awake. She must have really crashed as she finds her head resting on one of those little airplane pillows (still resting on Piz's shoulder though) plus she's covered with a sad excuse for a blanket as well. Trying to orient herself she sits up and rubs her eyes a little. Piz has his tray down, there is one empty plastic cup with a couple of ice cubes still in it and one glass full of tomato juice.

"For me?" Veronica asks him.

"Yep." he smiles sweetly at her.

She notices that Piz has the EW magazine that she bought - open to the article about Carrie. Her gut reaction is guilt and she doesn't really understand why.

"Her story is really compelling" Piz replies, noticing her blank stare. "Maybe there's something here that can be helpful to...Logan..."

"I don't even know if I'm going to agree to help him."

"Yes you do. You are completely incapable of walking away from someone you believe is innocent. It's okay, Veronica. It's what you have to do."

Veronica nods slowly, feeling contrite.

"Where are we? Do you know?"

"I think we've got about 45 minutes left...Hey Veronica? I've been thinking and I think that when we land, I should call and book a hotel room for the weekend..."

"What? Why? My dad's house has two guest rooms, I thought we agreed we'd stay there and abide by his bunking rules...and...you know...when he's off at the office..."

"I underestimated how hard this visit would be for you and I think you need time this weekend...with your dad...and Veronica, if you're going to do_ this_ (waving the magazine in the air) I don't think I should be around."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"NO! God no Veronica. Just trying to give you a little space. But I'm excited to be your plus one at the reunion. Can't wait to see Wallace and Mac! It'll be fun."

She reaches over and kisses him sweetly on the lips, she feels such great affection for him.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are beginning our approach into the San Diego area. Please return your trays to their locked positions and your seats to their upright position. Please turn off all electronic equipment and safely stow any loose article under your seat. We thank you for flying Delta Airlines and hope you enjoy your time in sunny San Diego."

Sunshine. That will feel nice, she thinks.

They gather their things and begin to deplane. Veronica realizes that during their tense ride to JFK she had forgotten to confirm whether it would be her Dad or Wallace that will be greeting them. She'll text her dad once they're in the terminal to see which one came, chances are that regardless of which one comes, they'll just circle the terminal in their car - both are too cheap to pay to park and come inside. Veronica rolls her suitcase with her right hand and reaches for Piz's hand with her left. She hates the butterflies that have taken residence up in her stomach and she feels a little light headed as well, having only had a banana and some yogurt for lunch. Maybe on the way to Neptune they can stop for some dinner.

She looks at Piz again, thinking about his decision to stay in a hotel for the weekend and she feels sad. She really wants this to work but she has to admit, having him here with her feels like pressure and she dreads all of the questions about their future. They've only been back together for 9 months and only living together for 3. That's all she can handle right now. As they approach the elevator to descend toward passenger pick-up she grabs her phone and texts her dad. "We're almost outside in passenger pick-up. Are you here? Or Wallace?"

This area of the airport is all windows and there is the faintest pink glow still visible as the sun has mostly set by now. She does look forward to seeing that sunshine tomorrow. The glass doors part as they step out and she's surprised by a little bit of humidity in the air and she notices as cars drive by that they are driving through water. They must've just missed a little bit of rain.

"I don't know why my Dad isn't texting me back. Let me call him and see where he is. You keep your eye out for Wallace - except I'm not sure what Wallace drives." She dials her dad - it goes to voicemail. "Dad...what's going on? Why aren't you answering your phone?"

Veronica whacks Piz in the arm and points to a big security guard ambling toward shiny blue BMW convertible.

"Uh-oh. Mr. Fancy-pants is about to get in some truh-bull!" They both chuckle, enjoying privilege getting its comeuppance. They can't see the driver in question as the big guard blocks their view but they can hear the official say, "Excuse me sir, you can't just park and wait here, unless the party you're here to meet is here, you'll need to circle back around." They see the trunk of the car pop open and a hand appears around the side of the guard, a finger pointing in their direction. As the guard turns to follow the finger he steps to the side just enough and Veronica sees Logan Echolls as he says, "yes sir, my people are right there."

Veronica's heart is in her throat and her knees are a little weak. She hears Piz mutter, "what the fuck?" And she has to say she agrees with the sentiment. She thought her little daydream the other day was pure fantasy, far beyond the realm of anything possible. Yet there he is leaning against his car waiting for her...not a hair out of place.

"Veronica Mars!" He says jocularly. He extends a hand to Piz, "Hey man, how's it going? Good to see you! Let's get your stuff in the car and clear out of Officer Friendly's way."

Veronica's head is swimming - poor Piz looks terrified. Does he think Logan is going to suddenly punch him? She thinks she might throw up.

"Um...you know...I think I'll grab a cab and go get settled at the hotel...you two catch up and Veronica...call me once you're done okay?" He leans over and kisses her on the head; there is resignation in his eyes. She doesn't want him to leave but, if she has to talk to Logan she doesn't want to have to do it with Piz there.

"Are you sure? ...I won't be long, I promise..."

Her suitcase is already shut in the trunk of Logan's car and he is holding the door for her. She looks apologetically at Piz, then climbs in the BMW. Piz gives her a short little wave then turns and walks the other way. As shell-shocked as she is, she can still appreciate how nice this car is. Subways and taxis were about the only thing she ever rode in these days, hard seats covered in vinyl and sat on by a million other people. These seats? Like butter. Wow.

"Nice car...So...why are _you_ here?" She finally asks him as they get on the road.

"I'm sorry to ambush you like this but I was afraid you weren't going to help me, plus I don't plan to attend any of the reunion activities so tonight is our only real chance to talk. I called and asked Keith if I could pick you up instead."

"That's why he wasn't answering. That coward."

Quickly she pulls out her phone and texts, "you're dead to me and you better buy me a pony." Then slips her phone back in her purse.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a little dive bar on the outskirts of town that I like to go to when I want to be anonymous. _**If**_ they know who I am, they don't give a flying fuck...So you and Piz aren't staying at your dad's? I thought Keith said you would be staying with him?"

Awkward. Damn. "Well, I'm staying with my dad, Piz thought dad and I needed some quality time so he decided to grab a hotel."

"It's been a long time now, huh? You guys getting married or anything!"

"NO," she said a little too emphatically. "I mean, we just reconnected about 9 months ago. He got a radio gig in the city and we literally bumped into each other one day, so...we're taking it a day at a time."

"You really think it was that random?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, perturbed.

"Nothing, I just always found Piz to be a little insidious."

Luckily, they pulled into a parking lot before she had a chance to fire back. Breath Veronica. "Here we are!" He says proudly. She glances up to see just about the ugliest building she's ever seen. The Tower Bar - it was painted bright blue and looked like the plaything of the jolly green giant's child - giant building blocks had been stacked on top of the building - graduated up to form a tower, brightly painted in orange, yellow, blue...She noticed it was nicely outfitted with a tattoo parlor in back.

"This is actually a hot spot for music but they rarely have events on Thursdays."

They enter the bar which is fairly well populated. It was a surprisingly young crowd - all kind of grungy. The floor is cement, at one time painted red but now is scuffed, stained and a little sticky. The walls are covered from top to bottom with pictures and beer paraphernalia.

"Wow, this is really a classy joint!"

"It's the price I pay for indifference."

They sit at a small table against a wall and Veronica picks up a pink xeroxed piece of paper, folded in half, rumpled and covered in former beer spills, touting "house cocktails". "Charming drink names. I can't decide between the donkey punch and the beast with two backs. Ooh, can I order a virgin-devirginizer?"

"Good evening folks," a weathered woman says as she tosses two cocktails napkins down on the table. Can I get you something from the bar?"

"I'll just have a club soda with lime."

Veronica looks at him curiously. "What do you have on tap?"

"Blue Moon, Guinness, Newcastle, our most popular is called the Pabst Smear - that's guinness and a can of pabst blue ribbon together…"

Veronica scrunches her nose. NOT how she imagined her first night back in Neptune, "Lovely, but, I think I will have the Blue Moon please."

"Will you bring us each a bacon cheeseburger with fries?"

She nods and walks away.

"Do you always presume to order for people you haven't seen in 7 years?"

"Trust me, it's the only thing worth eating here. Just saving you the misery of a crappy meal."

The waitress swings by the table with their beverages. Veronica eyes his club soda, "do you not drink anymore?"

"I don't _not_ drink but I've set some very strict self-imposed rules for when, where and how much. This doesn't meet any of the criteria."

Veronica is able to really take him in for the first time. He looks good. He's leaner than he was. Is it possible that at 19 he was still sporting baby fat? The boyishness is definitely gone now. He's wearing a dark blue button down shirt which probably cost more than every stitch she currently has on. He looks like a grown-up, like a man. Whether he acts like one now was yet to be determined.

Wasting no time, "So, does someone think you had something to do with Carrie's death?"

"Yeah, Dan Lamb has identified me as an official _person of interest_ in the case. I don't really have an alibi, they pulled me in for questioning - they didn't have any evidence tying me to the case but I anticipate being arrested any minute. Lamb will find some reason to throw me behind bars."

"Have you earned gold club membership there yet?"

"I'll have you know that I haven't been in jail since...well, since before you left."

"Oh. Well...I guess you should fill me in on the last seven years..."

Logan takes a deep breath and he suddenly looks very tired, "I'm sorry Veronica, that whatever I did to you was so bad that our friends aren't even allowed to say my name in your presence."

The timely arrival of their burgers helps defuse the moment. Veronica doesn't realize just how hungry she is until she takes the first bite of the hamburger. It's as greasy as they come and it's just about the most heavenly thing she's ever tasted.

"I'm sorry about Carrie. It's really hard for me to even wrap my brain around."

"Which part?"

"All of it. That she's dead, that you were dating, that she was famous, that she even had musical talent! Who knew! How did you two reconnect?"

Logan starts to open his mouth when the door of the bar swings open and two uniformed men saunter in. She recognized Jerry Sacks immediately - he doesn't look even remotely different. The other one is obviously the new Sheriff Lamb - she can see a slight resemblance but this guy isn't nearly as good looking. Yeah, she loathed him, but Don Lamb wasn't hard to look at.

"Logan Echolls, you are under arrest for the murder of Carrie Bishop, anything you say can and will be used against you..." His words fade out in Veronica's ears, she knew the spiel - had heard it many, many times. She is focusing on watching Logan and how he handles this. His face is impassive - no anger/rage, no petulance or jackassery. As he stands he reaches into his pocket - throws a $50 bill at her along with his car keys. "Here, take my car. Will you call Cliff for me? Thanks for talking to me Veronica...it's really good to see you."

Sheriff Lamb looks at her and considers her for a moment - then leads Logan out the door without saying a word. She stands there alone, with the entire bar staring at her. She leaves the 50 on the table, grabs Logan's keys and walks out.


	3. Chapter 3

Veronica sits in Logan's car, she's uncomfortable in this area of town but she needs to make a few calls and she's definitely not going to do that while driving. How much did this thing cost? 60 grand, 80? She has no idea but it's intimidating.

First a quick text to her dad: _Home in 20. Can you call Cliff, tell him Logan arrested?There better be a pony. Wine and ice cream will suffice._

Then one to Mac: _I know it's late but can you and W be at my dad's in an hour? Need to talk to you._

Now onto the call she doesn't really want to make.

"Hey...you're done talking already? That was fast."

"Well...he kind of got arrested and hauled off to jail...so there's that..."

"Are you okay?"

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I need to spend some time tonight digging into this thing. Will you come over in the morning for breakfast?"

"Uh...sure...of course." Veronica can hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I wish I was there with you."

"Me too. Goodnight Veronica."

"Goodnight Piz"

It occurs to her that they've never really adopted pet names for each other. He occasionally uses an endearment. Babe, sweetie, sunshine. She always just calls him Piz.

Return text from Mac, "_yep, we'll be there."_

Now to get home. The only thing on the keys Logan tossed to her that says BMW on it looks more like a jump drive than a key. Luckily the place it's meant to go is obvious and she clicks it in. Above that is a button nicely labelled engine start/stop. She pushes it and the engine purrs. Okay. Step one accomplished. Thankfully, it appears the transmission is automatic. Well, looking at the gear shift it might be one of those fancy things that you can shift gears if you want to. She does not! Not that she doesn't know how but she doesn't want to have refresh her memory on this particular car. Of course there is a navigation system. Pretty straight forward she begins to enter her dad's address and once entered, the address changes to say Keith Mars. Logan must already have him in there as a contact. She re-hears parts of their earlier conversation..."_he said you'd be staying with him...I called Keith and asked if I could...our friends aren't allowed to say my name._

Veronica feels ignorant and dumb, there's so much she doesn't know. It's time to get caught up. She puts the car in drive and heads towards her dad's house. While she drives there is just one thing looping through her mind, like a meme or a gif or whatever those things are that people put on the internet of a moment they want to see over and over again. Its even in slow motion in her mind, that big guard moving to the side revealing Logan leaning against his car pointing at her with the slightest grin. Then he approaches. But what never happens? He never touches her. He claps Piz on the shoulder and shakes his hand firmly but he never touches her, doesn't even brush her incidentally. Then it all repeats again, but skews and turns to fantasy. The big guard moves to the side, Logan points, grins, approaches, she meets him half-way and throws her arms around his neck, he picks her up, gives her a twirl sets her down and kisses her slowly and softly.

"Turn right on Wisconsin Avenue, in 200 feet, your destination is on the left." The lovely British navigation lady snaps her out of it.

Here she is at her Dad's place. It's a cute little bungalow that he bought about a year ago. She's seen pictures of course but this will be her first visit. She pulls into the driveway, puts the car in park then pushes the button to turn it off. She gives the fob-thingy a tug but it doesn't come out. Shit. She sits there for a moment contemplating the mechanics of how to get it out. Oh, the lightbulb in her heads goes on, she pushes the fob in and sure enough it disengages and pops out. Whew. It'd probably be bad to leave the keys in the ignition overnight. She hopes the rare spit of rain earlier in the evening is all there is because she has no clue how to close the roof on this thing. She pops the trunk and retrieves her suitcase then approaches the front door, giving it a knock as she simultaneously opens it.

Woof,woof,woof,woof,woof...a little spitfire of a bulldog is pacing frantically at her feet. She kneels down. "Oh my goodness. You must be Cartman. Come here!" She ruffles him around the neck as he whimpers with doggy excitement. He is jumping up on her, trying to lick her face. "Well, you are just vicious aren't you?" After Backup died several years ago she expected her dad to get another pit bull but he said that ever since she left, what he was really missing around the house was a bulldog! Nice. He named him after their favorite South Park character.

"There she is! The prodigal daughter. Come here you!" Keith scoops her up and hugs her tightly. Veronica can feel the tears welling up in her eyes, his embrace feels so good, she misses him so much.

"I'm sorry about Logan, but I was afraid if you knew he was coming to pick you up you'd just run away. There's this little section of beach that I like to visit that gets no cell phone reception. I just went there for awhile, that way I didn't have to lie to you...I've talked to Cliff, he's on his way there now, he figures he'll post bail in the morning. Ice cream?"

"Uh...hello? Of course!"

"Where's Piz?" He asks with concern.

Heavy sigh, "he wasn't really interested in chewing the fat with Logan, nor does he want to play Watson to my Sherlock, he got a hotel room. He'll be here in the morning for breakfast"

"Everything okay with you two?"

"Um...I don't really know. It might've been a mistake for him to come with me. Listen, Mac and Wallace will be here in about a half an hour, I need the three of you to fill me in on what you know."

Keith nods, looking a little guilty.

"It's okay Dad, I'm starting to clue in that just because I shut him out doesn't mean you all did."

Veronica rolls her bag to her room. It is her room, adorned with many of her belongings and mementos. She grabs the EW magazine and her laptop, she needs to get this story about Carrie read then see what else she can find out about Logan's arrest.

She returns to the living room to find a big bowl of butter pecan waiting for her on the coffee table and a very compliant Cartman sitting as still as he can beside it. If he had a tail it'd be going a mile a minute. She wolfs it down just as the doorbell rings so she puts it on the floor for Cartman to finish up. Happy dog. He loves her.

Her friends both look amazing! Mac Attack! It's amazing the difference self-esteem makes on a person's appearance. She was so scarred by Cassidy for so long but after years of therapy and becoming a successful business person, she is standing tall and looking fabulous. And Wallace is soooo handsome! Fleetingly she thinks how good they look together.

After some basic pleasantries they sit down to business.

"I need you guys to fill me on Logan." The three all look to one another with uncertainty. "Look, I've come out from under my rock and get that maybe you guys maintained contact with him. It's okay. I'm not going to freak out. If I'm going to help him, I need to know. Mac?"

"Well, he's my business partner. He's the major investor in my software company."

"How often do you talk to him?"

Mac takes a deep breath, "almost every day." Veronica's jaw drops. "Veronica, he helped me pay for some of my therapy after the Cassidy thing. He even made me and Dick do some of it together. I know, crazy. Dick is still DICK, but we understand each other a little better now, I'd even call him my friend. But Logan? Yeah, he's a very important part of my life, he's family."

Veronica breathes deeply.

"Wallace?"

"Well, you know that trip I went on after our freshman year? The Invisible Children thing? Logan actually went too. He was a mess after jackin' up Piz and driving you away. He was supposed to go on some surf trip with Dick but that fell through. On a whim he signed up to go to Africa. It was tough at first. I mean I was so pissed off at him for what he did to you and Piz and he was a real ass for the first week or so, but then he started getting to know these kids and they _loved_ him, he really had a way with them. He told me later that for the first time in his life, people were seeing him as the person he wanted to be. They didn't know anything about his jackass past and it gave him a clean slate. He learned how to love and be loved in away he'd never known before. It really changed him. So anyway, since they are head-quartered in San Diego, we've stayed involved over the years. I'm on the board, he was board president for a couple of years and of course he's a major contributor. Oh, and we play golf sometimes."

Wow. She had no idea.

"Dad?"

"While you two were still dating, he called me up and asked me to lunch one day. We met for one lunch then didn't do it for a while but after you left for Stanford, it became a more regular date. We probably have lunch together once every two months or so."

Veronica can feel the sting of tears in her eyes..._again_. What is her problem? She's come close to balling her eyes out more in the last 24 hours than she has in two years. Now, not only does she not know Logan at all, she suddenly doesn't feel like she knows the three people sitting at the table with her. The villain is the one that leaves, the hero is the one that sticks around, she once told Wallace. She left, she ran. Now she feels like the bad guy.

"We're sorry Veronica," her dad says. "We shouldn't have kept all of this from you."

"So what do you all know about his relationship with Carrie?" She pressed on, unwilling to fall apart at this particular moment. She looks at Mac, knowing she would have the most information.

"I don't know a lot, he was pretty quiet about her. She doesn't use her real name, her stage name is Bonnie De Ville. I know he respects her a lot. Enjoys her company. Professionally they were mutually beneficial to one another. A few years ago, Logan founded a school in San Diego - the same model as the one Andre Agassi has in Las Vegas. It's a charter school, the Lester Academy. So having a celebrity spokesperson has been good for the school's profile. Her star really began to rise, even higher than her band's, once she started being seen with Logan. They were becoming quite the power couple. I know there was a lot of unrest with the band and they had actually just cancelled a bunch of tour dates. None of them would talk to the press about why. That's about all I know though."

"And what about her death? Any details on that?" this time she looks at her dad.

"She was found strangled to death in her bed in her condominium in San Diego. That's about all I know at this point. I have no idea what evidence they've found in order to arrest Logan."

Keith's phone rings. "Hey Cliff, what've you got? That's it? How's he holding up? Okay, we'll see you in the morning. Thanks Cliff."

"That was obviously Cliff, they found Logan's finger prints all over her apartment."

"Well...duh...if they were dating..." Veronica observes.

"They also found semen traces on a rug in the apartment that matches Logan..."

Veronica feels bile in the back of her throat. "Did they do an autopsy on Carrie? Had she been sexually active within the window of the murder?" She glances around the living room, looking for a rug that used to be in her dad's apartment. She's not seeing it and feels an odd sense of relief.

"I don't know."

"That could be old." She says hopefully.

"He'll be released sometime tomorrow but Cliff isn't sure when."

It's late at this point so Mac and Wallace say their good nights. They will see Veronica Saturday night at the reunion. Her dad takes Cartman for a quick walk and she settles into bed with the EW article.

Carrie and Susan started as a song writing team, Knight and Bishop. Susan was the lyricist. They sold a couple of songs to an indie group called Twin Sister (Veronica had never heard of them) and one to the Arctic Monkeys. Then a duo sought them out for songwriting help. They were Ruby Jetson and Malcolm Hildebrandt. Malcolm is a classically trained cello prodigy that was more interested in The Violent Femmes and Liz Phair than Bach and Beethoven. Ruby is a pianist and vocalist. Some time during the collaborative process Carrie began singing with the duo and they decide to perform as a trio. Malcolm is portrayed in the article as temperamental and difficult to work with but it his idea to name the group _Knight, Bishop, Rook_, then he also insisted that Carrie choose a stage name so as not to be assumed to be the group lead. Susan didn't like the idea but they made her a founding member of the band and called her "manager". They became the indie darlings of San Diego and it became THE thing to have them at house concerts. It suggests that it was during this time that she and Logan became an item. As they were becoming more well known - the had a song featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy - Carrie - or Bonnie De Ville - started to steal the spotlight and be recognized more than Ruby and Malcolm. She was flamboyant, a paparazzi princess and loved not just fame but also notoriety. The article intimates that Malcolm was angry about it, that he didn't think she'd be anybody if it weren't for he and Ruby. It also implies that perhaps he was in love with Carrie. She needed to talk to Logan about all of this. She finally puts the magazine away and crawls into bed. Her Dad pokes his head in to say good night and Cartman comes in and whines at her from the floor. She finally relents and hauls him onto the bed. It feels good to have a warm body beside her.

The next morning Piz arrives around 8:30 and joins she and Keith for an amiable breakfast. Cliff calls Keith to let him know that Logan will be released at 10:00.

"I've got his car so I need to get that to him, plus I need to ask him some questions." There is no glossing over the awkwardness of this entire situation but it's true, Veronica isn't going to walk away from helping Logan, she knows he's innocent. She also knows this is chipping away at her relationship with Piz.

"I called a couple of old radio friends from Hearst and they're available so I'll catch up with them. We'll do dinner?"

"Yes, I promise." Veronica prays she is able to keep that promise.

She arrives at the sheriff's department at about 9:45 and the place is teeming with press. She heads for the front entrance and notices a podium set up, she sees her old friend Cliff amongst the crowd.

"Well, as I live and breath! Cliff McCormack!"

"Hello Veronica. When are you going to stop hanging out with this kid? He's nothing but trouble."

"You love him and you know it Cliff. You wouldn't keep showing up when he calls if you didn't."

"I love his checkbook...and I guess he's kind of endearing. In his own privileged way."

"What's going on here?"

"The Sheriff can't hold him in custody anymore but he's going to hold a press conference. Aiming to discredit him as much as he's able."

Sheriff Dan Lamb appears from the entrance of the station and approaches the podium. He holds up a newspaper that declares "Bonnie De Ville Shocker! UNFAITHFUL," it's a rag of course, the local version of the National Inquirer.  
"Mr. Echolls has met his bail and will be released soon but it has come to our attention that Miss De Ville, real name Carrie Bishop, was having an affair with her band mate Malcolm Hildebrandt. Additionally, an anonymous source has come forward to say they witnessed Mr. Echolls violently beat the paramour of a former lover out of jealousy. AND, although he was acquitted, it is widely believed that Aaron Echolls, father of Logan Echolls, did in fact murder his son's high school girlfriend after carrying on an illicit affair with the teenager and it is the belief of this department that Echolls remains genetically predisposed to violent behavior. We intend to devote the necessary resources to prove his responsibility in this case and we ask you, the citizens of Neptune, to please come forward if you have any pertinent information."

Veronica hates him. He almost makes her miss Don. Of course now is the moment they allow poor Logan to exit the station and he is swarmed by the press. She hears him say "no comment" over and over again. She and Cliff push their way to him and Cliff grabs him by the elbow and they hurry him away from the crowd.

"You all should get out of here quickly. We'll talk later" instructs Cliff.

"Where to?" Veronica asks as she climbs into the passenger seat of the car and tosses Logan his keys.

"Let's go to my place."


	4. Chapter 4

"Let's go to my place."

Veronica's heart races as they head east, they drive in silence, it's too hard to have a conversation in a convertible. Logan does the sporty-shifty-thingy with the car, Veronica finds it very attractive. They are now driving over the Coronado Bridge and Veronica glances cautiously in his direction. Does he really drive this route multiple times a day? Does he think of his mom every time he does? They drive south on Silver Strand Blvd then head back west into a marina area on the San Diego Bay. The houses here are impressive, no doubt, but it lacks the ostentation of the former Echolls estate. Here there are neighbors. Turning a corner they encounter a mass of vehicles lining the side of the road.

"Fuck!"

Logan hits a button and the roof of the car begins to close as people start surrounding the car, cameras taking picture after picture, even flash bulbs go off despite it being broad daylight. Logan slowly pulls into the driveway, careful not to run anyone over even though Veronica knows he'd love to plow them all down. The garage door opens and Logan drives in. Veronica assumes the paps know better than to try and enter the garage as that would be trespassing and so the door closes behind them without incident. Logan turns off the car. Silently he leans forward and puts his head in his hands. Veronica doesn't know what to do but just as she begins to reach out a hand, Logan composes himself and sits up, Veronica jerks back her hand.

"Welcome to casa Logan! Come on in."

They get out of the car and enter into a small vestibule with a staircase leading up. It is dim where they've entered but she can see sunlight pouring in from atop the stairs.

"Too early for boilermakers?"

She doesn't know what to expect when they reach the top of the stairs and apparently neither does Logan because when he reaches the top first she hears him say, "SHIT! Goddamit!" Once Veronica is at the top of the stairs she sees that the place has been tossed. Everything ransacked.

Logan pulls out his phone and dials. "Hey man. When's the last time you swung by the house? No man, it's been turned upside down. I'm going to clear out but when you get a chance will you stop by and check it out? See if you can find out who did this? Thanks dude. Call if you figure something out."

"Let me grab a few things then we'll leave. Not sure where to go but I obviously can't stay here." Logan disappears down a hallway.

Veronica looks around at the chaos. She was hoping to gain insight into Logan's life by visiting his house, seeing how he lives. Why would someone do this? Does it have something to do with Carrie? Were they looking for someone or just trying to wreck the place?

She takes out her own phone. "Dad, hey, I'm over at Logan's and his place has been turned upside down. It looks to me like someone was looking for something. He wants to clear out of here. Can he stay with us? I think he needs to lay low. Thanks pops."

Logan reappears with a duffle bag in one hand and a garment bag thrown over his shoulder, looking around his place with that hurt puppy look she remembers from high school.

"So..who did you call?" Veronica asks suspiciously.

"Just then? Just a friend of mine, helps me with some personal security stuff, poker buddy..."

"What do you call this friend?"

"Oh, you know...Dude...or Duder...Il Duderino when I'm not into the whole brevity thing..."

"Ah! Your friend is the Big Lebowski? What else do you call your friend?"

"Sometimes Hombre...mi hermano.."

"Ever call him Weevil?"

"He insists on Eli now..."

Veronica shakes her head. "How is he?"

"He is great actually. I know he's looking forward to seeing you tomorrow night."

"Weevil, sorry Eli, is planning on attending the reunion? I feel like I've touched down in the Twilight Zone."

"People grow up Veronica, you should let them."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You seem to think that when you left here without looking back, everything and everyone froze as they were. Is your ego really so big that you think your absence stunted our growth? That we couldn't go on and function without you?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong but I seem to remember that you called ME to ask for my help in getting you out of yet another big mess. And I came, I'm here."

"And why is that Veronica? Why are you here? Why are you helping me?"

Veronica swallows hard, she doesn't know why. "Because I know you didn't do it, because it's important to my Dad and my friends..._our_ friends...I mean, it's not some grand declaration of love or anything Logan!"

"Well, I'll be sure to return the Cubic Zirconia to The Costco then."

Silence. Awkward, painful, horrible silence.

"Listen, I called my Dad, maybe you should come and stay with us for a couple of days. This is starting to look like it goes deeper than just some tawdry love-triangle."

"You really know nothing about any of it Veronica, least of all me." He busies himself replacing a few couch cushions.

"Which is why you need to fill me in and tell me _everything_."

Descending the stairs, they climb back into Logan's car and back out into the throng of gossip mongers, a few even follow in their cars but the BMW is faster and more maneuverable than anything they have, Logan is able to leave them in the dust without too much effort.

Arriving at the bungalow around lunch time, Veronica offers to make a couple of sandwiches when they get inside.

"Think it would be okay for me to pop in the shower? I still smell like cell B."

"Oh, sure...of course."

"Cartman! My man!" Logan stands still as Cartman runs circles around him, so excited to see him. Logan reaches in his pocket and pulls out a treat, making Cartman beg for it. When did he slip that in his pocket? Happy dog. He loves him.

Logan excuses himself to shower and Veronica digs through the fridge for lunchmeat, cheese, finds some sandwich bread and a bag of chips and makes two turkey and provolone sandwiches with mustard and alfalfa sprouts. She catches the slightest glimpse of Logan exiting the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist, then he quickly darts into the other spare bedroom and shuts the door. Piz is NOT going to like this arrangement. At all.

Logan comes out dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt. The t-shirt fits him snugly and Veronica has to fight not to stare at him too hard. He has worked out a lot more since she saw him last. Mercy. They sit and eat their sandwiches.

"So, Lamb says it's been discovered that Carrie and Malcolm were having an affair."

"What?! Ha! That's rich. Malcolm is as gay as the day is long. _I've_ had to fend off his drunken advances from time to time but there definitely wasn't anything going between him and Carrie - except maybe hatred."

"So, do you think she was cheating on you?"

"Well, that would've been hard for her to do since we weren't actually a couple."

Veronica raises both eyebrows, mid-bite. "You weren't dating her?" she mumbles with food in her mouth.

"We only dated for about 6 months - we just never really clicked but the press and public ate it up. She was getting a lot more exposure because she was showing up with me all over town and because she was becoming more famous by the minute, she was able to bring attention to the school - we started getting more interest from the community and outside contributors. It was easy enough to keep pretending we were a couple so we did."

"Mac told me about the school. That is very cool."

"It's really the reason I'm so desperate to get out of this. I'm a very regular presence at the school, not just some figurehead. The kids know me, trust me, depend on me and this could really do irrevocable damage to the school and the kids that are there now."

"Do you know if Carrie was involved with anyone?"

"I'm pretty sure she was. We weren't romantic or anything but she still liked to flaunt that stuff under my nose. I was over there last week. Usually after a public appearance we'd make sure to go back to one or the others place in case the photogs were following. Had to be thorough with the ruse. I'd hang around long enough for a scotch, then duck out the back. Eli often picked me up then we'd sneak back in the morning to get the Beemer. But the last time I was there she was hot to trot to get me out of there. I kept needling her about who was coming but she wouldn't tell me. Now that I think about it, her reaction seemed more anxious than eager. She definitely didn't want me there when whoever she was expecting was due. I wish I'd picked up on that then, maybe things would've been different."

"My dad said that they found semen on a rug in her place that matched your DNA. do you remember...that...encounter?"

"Seriously? That's just gross." He starts looking around the room and she knows he's looking for the same rug she looked for the night before. She wants to acknowledge their mutual dirty memory but thinks better of it.

"I already told you, we only dated for about 6 months. That...time...was probably in the first couple of weeks." Logan sits in an armchair and she is on the couch. Cartman positions himself between them.

"Hey Veronica...I have kind of a weird request but um...I don't know if you've noticed but since you landed and we've spent time together...we have yet to... touch each other."

"I...yes, I noticed..."

"I really, really want to touch you. I'm sorry, that sounds creepy. I mean, I'd really like to give you a hug but I don't want to overstep any boundaries. It just seems weird to me that after all we've been through and how long we've known each other that we can't even share a hug, and I for one could really use one."

"I...I'd like that, a hug would be nice."

Like Tweens about to share their first slow dance they each stand from where they are sitting and awkwardly shuffle a little closer. Logan starts by putting this hands on her shoulders. Veronica takes a deep breath and can't look him in the eye; he pulls her in. Her arms wrap around his waist and she rests her head on his chest; he folds his arms around her and holds her tightly, resting his left cheek on the top of her head. She breathes him in, he's just showered so he smells fresh and clean. She can hear his heart beating in his chest, maybe a little faster than it normally would and his breathing is a little shallow. This is the most wonderful and terrifying thing she's ever felt. The convulsions come from the very center of her body and she can't do anything to shut them down. The tears she's held at bay for the last couple of days come pouring out, her shoulders heave and she weeps in his arms. He holds her tighter, whispering "shhh, shhh, it's okay Veronica, it's okay."

"No, it's not okay. I'm not okay." She pulls back and looks at him to discover tears streaming down his face as well. "I can't do this." Veronica separates herself from him and walks into her room, shutting the door.

Logan stands still, feeling a chill in his body everywhere she touched him then withdrew. He wants the warmth back, he wants her back. It takes him a few moments to realize that someone is knocking on the door.

Logan opens the door. "Piz?"

Piz clearly doesn't expect to find Logan at the door and looks around him into the house. "Um, hey, I'm looking for Veronica..."

As tempting as it is to tell Piz she is elsewhere, Logan motions him in. "She just went into her room." The usually spastic Cartman is very on guard. He feels the tension and even growls a little. Logan walks the short distance down the hallway and raps on her door. "Hey Veronica, Piz is here for you." He doesn't wait for an answer and doesn't look at Piz again, just excuses himself into the other spare bedroom and closes the door.

Piz and Cartman are left in the living room, neither knowing quite what to do.

Veronica looks in the mirror, her eyes are bloodshot and her nose looks like Rudolph's. She wishes more than anything that the two men currently in this house with her would evaporate. Logan because it's too intense, unsustainable yet irresistible. Piz because she can't live up to his expectations and it pains her to disappoint him so thoroughly.

Another knock. "Veronica? Are you okay?"

Nope, she thinks to herself. I'm a basket case.

"I am. Hold on just a minute."

Veronica realizes that her hope to suddenly look like she's not been crying is fruitless. She opens her door and returns to the living room where Piz has retreated to.

"Veronica, are you okay? What's going on? Why are you crying? Did he hurt you?"

"No, of course not. I'm just feeling a little emotional is all."

"Why is he here?"

"Oh...his house was ransacked and we don't think it's safe for him to stay there so...he's...staying here for a couple of days."

"HERE?"

"Piz...it's not..."

"I'm such an idiot..."

"You're not an idiot Piz. There's just...he's really got a lot at stake and if I can help him I'm going to."

"We're probably not having dinner tonight are we?"

"I'm sorry, I think tonight probably won't work but there's still the reunion tomorrow."

"Hooray, sounds great."

"I'm sorry Piz, I know this isn't the weekend you envisioned..." Veronica hates hurting him.

"Well...maybe I'll go start a barroom brawl somewhere and get thrown in jail, then you'll notice me."

"That's not fair..."

"You're right Veronica, none of this is fair." Piz stands and walks out of the house.

NOW would be the appropriate time to cry Veronica...but nothing comes.

She hears the door to the guest room open. "I'm sorry Veronica..."

"We'll be fine. Once we're back in New York we'll get it sorted out." she doesn't really believe that to be true. Changing the subject. "So, I'd like a chance to talk to Ruby and Malcolm, see if they know anything about who Carrie was seeing. Where can we find them?"

"We can start by hitting the 09er tonight, they hangout there often enough."

"Oh right. The (_uses air quotes_) 09er! I saw that on the reunion invitation. Who does that? Who names a club that? It might as well be called "No Bank Roll, No Pedigree, No Service". What douche bag started that club?"

"That'd be Dick."

"Of course it is."

"And me too, I have a controlling interest in it. He got to name it but I refused to help back it unless part of the proceeds go to charity. The Lester Academy gets a little help from wealthy n'er-do-wells who just want to see, be seen and get drunk. It's a happy little system."

"What time should we go?"

"Maybe around 9:00. We probably shouldn't go together. I think you should keep your promise for dinner - go talk it out with him, work through some stuff Veronica. Don't throw it away if you think it's worth having. Meet me at the club later. I need to run out for a while and do a few things so I'll see you later." He grabs his keys and is out the door.

Veronica sits and wonders if Logan is right. Maybe she should fight harder to make it work with Piz. It was going perfectly fine in New York, it's only been this trip to Neptune that has put such a strain on it. Maybe they can right the ship once they're home. She retrieves her phone and calls him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _Thank you for the positive feedback! One reviewer requested some Logan POV and this seemed like a good place to follow him a bit. I think I'm more comfortable inside Veronica's head but let me know what you think. Big shout-out to the anon reviewer that called me out on the phrase "statutory lunatic" – I knew when I wrote it that it was nonsensical but I liked the way it sounds. I figured "eh, it's just in Veronica's head, sometimes when we're tire and angry, we make shit up"! Going off the grid for a little while so this will be it for a time. Still can't lay claim to any of these characters –except Cartman the bulldog._

Logan drives. He lied to Veronica, he has no errands to run, he just needs to get out of the house away from her. He'd like to stop by the academy and say hello to all of the kids but the headmaster thought it was best if he stayed away while they sort this thing out. Why did she fall apart in his arms? What was that about? It felt so good to hold her again and _his_ tears had started to fall even before _hers_ - tears of relief he thought. Like if you've been lost and scared and cold, when you're finally found and safe and warm you feel so relieved that you cry, releasing all of that anxiety. Is that what she was doing or was it something different for her? She said it wasn't okay, that she wasn't okay and all he wants to do is make it okay for her. But that's not his place, he's not her boyfriend - he guesses they aren't even friends. Truth be told, they are practically strangers at this point, except that having her in his arms felt familiar, right, known. But what are the givens? She lives in New York, he lives in California. _She_ is in a committed relationship and LIVES with Piz, _his_ pretend girlfriend was just murdered and he's a suspect. _She_ fled Neptune seven years ago specifically to get away from him. _He_ let her go.

And Piz! Ugh. What is it about that guy? Why is it that all he wants to do is punch him in the face anytime he sees him? Even though he seems like a decent guy. Is he really the man Veronica is supposed to be with? He seems to be the "family" choice; this little family he has cobbled together for himself. Mac, Eli, Keith, to a lesser degree Wallace, even Dick; as he worked to cultivate those relationships the biggest stumbling block, the tallest hurdle with each of them was Veronica. No one was a fan of them together, but everybody seems to behind Piz. But why not him, what's wrong with him? He's an upstanding member of the community! But chins would drop, jaws would clench, they'd throw him over in a minute in defense of her. They're not in competition, he and Veronica, but he knows they would all pick her. He has worked so hard on his impulsivity over the years, honing self-discipline so as to reduce the amount of trouble he gets himself into. Yet again though, he acted rashly, calling her out of the blue for help. He could have done this without her, he should've done this without her. He's made her a wreck and he's going to get his heart broken - again - into a million pieces.

Mercifully his phone rings and he's brought out of this whirring stream of consciousness.

It's Eli.

"Hey man, whatcha got?"

"I'm going to have to go through it again a few more times but I did find a couple of curiosities. Can you tear yourself away from what you're doing and meet me at the 09er?"

"Yeah dude, I'm just driving around. I can be there in ten."

"K." click.

Logan pulls into the back lot of the 09er and sees Eli's bike and Dick's car. Dick is always here, this place is definitely his baby and it's the one thing in his life that he really cares about (besides surfing). The 09er is THE place to be and does great business, with a very high-profile crowd. He walks past the hog and reaches out his hand. He expects it to be warm but it's not very, Eli must've already been here when he called. Eli manages security for the club so he's a regular fixture here as well with full access. He grins. Eli and Dick are in there together, they merely tolerate each other and he loves to just sit back and watch it. It's very entertaining.

Unlike the front door of the club that closes and locks the old-fashioned way with bolts, keys and a big ol' gate, the backdoor is electronic and uses a passkey for entry. Only a handful of people have passkeys and the computer tracks all entrances. The club won't open until 6 pm so there aren't any patrons here now and just a couple of staff. Donny, the senior bartender is probably here prepping, maybe some kitchen staff but it'll still be an hour or so before the rest of the staff starts arriving. He actually loves the feel of the place when no one is in it.

Eli is sitting at a table in the main portion - where the bar is, his helmet sitting on the table. Donny is indeed behind the bar cleaning, stocking and prepping.

"LOGAN!"

"DONNY!"

That's all that's necessary there. Taking a quick look around he doesn't see Dick - he's probably in the back room looking over the books. They have a good accountant but Dick is pretty diligent about keeping his eye on things to make sure everything is on the up and up. Guess he learned _something_ from his Dad - cautionary tales.

"So, how's our girl?" Eli cuts to the chase.

"She's...not so much ours anymore for starters...but she's still Veronica. I think she'll be here tonight - she wants to try and find Ruby and Malcolm to talk to about Carrie's murder."

"I can't believe you talked her into helping...what is it with the two of you? Hey...did you tell her?"

"No man, that's your big news. And there's nothing _with_ the two of us, she's just doing me a favor. So...can we stop talking about Veronica and talk about my house and why somebody ransacked it?"

"Well...based on what I found...we'll have to keep talking about Veronica..."

"What!? What's that mean?"

"First - in my experience when a place is trashed, it's actually trashed. Broken vases, pictures knocked off the wall with shattered glass, other collateral damage but what is weird about your place is that it's all fairly orderly- nothing is actually wrecked. One picture was on the floor - but kind of propped against the wall, careful like."

"Do you think they were looking for a wall safe behind the picture and I still don't understand what this has to do with Veronica?"

"No. I'm getting there. So on the bottom shelf of one of your bookshelves you have, like, a box with a lid on it? It's covered in fabric or something?"

"Linen, it's covered in linen."

"I don't care what it's covered in, Martha Stewart."

"You mentioned it vato. That box holds my pictures."

"ALL of your pictures? All of your pictures fit in one little box?"

He narrows his eyes, tilts his head and just stares at Eli for a moment, giving him a moment to think.

"Are you there yet Pedro Pyro?"

The lightbulb goes off in Eli's head. "Holy shit. Yeah. Um, sorry. Selective memory I guess."

"Can we keep moving on before I revisit the urge to beat the shit out of you?"

"Let's." Eli reaches into his pocket and tosses torn pieces of paper onto the table.

"I found these 2 pictures, ripped up and thrown back in the box. One is you with Lily, one is you with Veronica."

Logan is speechless from confusion, then picks up the pieces of Lily.

"This is the only picture I still have of me and Lily, Trina had it and sent it to me..." He looks at Eli who stares at the floor and kicks at something with his boot. In the past couple of years as he's come to know Eli as a friend and love him like a brother, he's accepted that Eli loved Lily deeply, probably more than Logan did himself, only because he knows what he felt for Lily didn't compare to what he felt for Veronica. He pushes those pieces back toward Eli and puts together the picture of he and Veronica, it was a selfie she'd done of them outside of Amy's having ice cream cones.

"And...was this the only picture you had of Veronica?"

"No, I still had a bunch of pictures of Vee, probably 20 or 30..."

"Well, those are gone dude..."

Logan fills his cheeks with air then exhales. "What the fuck is going on?"

"I don't know."

"I'm sure this is way off base and Veronica will never speak to me again if she finds out about this but...will you keep an eye on Piz.?"

"You think he could have something to do with this?"

"I don't know, not really, but there's always been something about him I don't trust. Someone told Lamb about the beat down I gave him over the sex tape thing...now pictures of Veronica have been stolen from my house...and nothing else...just, see if you can track him down, see if he's doing anything suspicious. It seems like things between them are pretty strained at the moment.."

"I never liked that guy for Veronica. I don't know what she sees in him." Logan's lips turn into a self-satisfied grin. "I never liked you for her either pendejo."

"Hey, I'm a catch. Besides, who introduced you to your wife? You should be nicer to me asswipe."

"Listen up pencil di..."

As Dick passes through he interrupts, "The sexual tension in this place, you could cut it with a knife!"

"Shut up Dick," the boys say in unison.

Dick just giggles and exits again.

"Do you know where Piz is?"

"I think he's staying at a Marriott by the airport. He and Veronica might be having dinner together tonight but I don't know where."

"And...where are you staying? You said you were going to clear out of your place."

"I...am... crashing with Keith."

"Keith? As in Keith Mars. Uh...isn't Veronica also 'crashing' with Keith?"

He shrugs his shoulders.

"You people are fucked up. Are you going to break her heart again? Cause if you are we're going to have a problem."

"Gee Weevs whatever happened to bros before hos,? Maybe mine is the heart that'll get broken." He tries to mask the hurt but he doesn't do a very good job.

"Instinct, old habits...I know she broke your heart too. Shit. You people just need to stay away from each other."

"That seems to be the consensus."

"Dude, I gotta jump. I need to meet a couple of other clients then Jade is expecting me home. I'll see what I can find out about Piznarski but I doubt he's our guy. Protect her man...but protect yourself too. I wouldn't want to have to actually speak directly to Casablancas. I need you around."

"Thanks Eli."

He watches his friend go. His friend. Crazy.

What is she doing? Did she call him? He hopes so. No he doesn't. Yes he does. Focus Logan. You need to be cleared of murder, then she will go back to New York and things will go back to being just as they've been. Maybe you just need to try and enjoy the time together. Then move on.

It's 4:30 and staffers begin to arrive. School's out so he'll head over to the academy. He has a closet with a few clothes there so he can change for the evening without having to go back to the Mars' place and he can catch up a little with school business. He doesn't want to see Veronica for fear that he'll say something stupid.

The tiny little campus of his school is pretty quiet - people always want to get out early on Fridays. His office isn't in the administrative wing - his is in amongst all of the classrooms - he likes to be able to look out and see the kids walking by or he'll take a break from what he's doing and stand in the hallway during change overs, giving high-fives and just being a presence in these kids' lives - something he never had. He is the school's founder but doesn't have an official title beyond that - he of course works diligently in development but the school also has a Director of Development. His office has a door that opens directly into the hallway and also one that connects with his assistant Kelly's office - her office also opens onto the hallway. He enters through Kelly's door so that he can grab any mail he might have, then moves through into his office. Grabbing a bottle of water from his mini-fridge he sits at his desk and flips through the stack of envelopes. None of it seems particularly important but amongst them is a smallish manila envelope with no return address. He opens it and pulls out a single piece of yellow paper, folded in half, with something enclosed in it. He unfolds it and a picture of Veronica falls to his desk, it is one from the box at his house. The note inside says: "You should be very careful; you don't want to lose ANOTHER girlfriend." Logan's stomach turns.

Could someone have murdered Carrie because of him? Why? What does he tell Veronica? Who is doing this? If he had any doubts before it is clear now, he is bad news, Veronica is better off in New York living a life with Piz.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** _wow, I did not expect to post again so soon but this kind of poured out of me. THIS will be the last chapter for a couple of weeks so I hope you enj_oy it.

That was hard. Good she thinks, but hard.

"My daughter, the hotshot New York lawyer...sitting in her bedroom at her daddy's house holding a stuffed pink unicorn. What's up honey?"

"This is hard coming back here. I'm so out of practice with the whole sleuthing thing and I have so much baggage! I want to be able to help Logan because I know he didn't kill Carrie, but I don't know if I've got it in me anymore."

Keith sits beside her on the bed and she leans her head on his shoulder, she'll never stop needing him to be her dad.

"You may have bit off more than you can chew with this one. You know, there'd be no shame in passing this case off to an older, more seasoned detective..."

"You're right Dad. You're right. Do you have Vinnie's number?" She laughs at her jab, it feels good to laugh and banter with her old man just like old times.

"What can I do to help?"

"Do you think you can pry anymore evidence out of Neptune's finest? There had to be more finger prints at Carrie's than Logan's. And what about surveillance footage, she lived in a high-end condo, surely there were cameras pointed at the place. Time of death? There is a lot of information that we don't have yet and we need to get it."

"I'll see what I can do. You know Leo is a respected detective in San Diego now, he might be willing to lend a hand. Bet he'd love to see you as well!"

"Um, I'm feeling a bit triangulated as it is..."

"He's married Veronica. He and his wife just had a baby girl not long ago."

"Really? Married?"

"People grow up Veronica."

"...and I should let them, yes, I've been told."

Keith gives her an odd look and shakes his head in complete befuddlement.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to change and head to the 09er, hoping to meet and talk with Carrie's band mates, see if any thing pops out there. Can I borrow your car?"

"I actually need it. But I can drop you off! Pull up right outside the front door, hand you your lunch box, pat you on the head and send you on your big girl way!"

"Gee, thanks!"

"You know it's coming...ready for it...here it comes...Who's your daddy?"

She hugs him tightly. "God I miss you!"

"Me too sweetie. Now go find something trashy to wear, you've got a night club to get to."

She pulls herself together pretty quickly, skinny black jeans, boots, a grey shawl neck tank and black jacket. She wears her hair straight and as the last swipe of mascara goes on, her phone rings. Logan. _Please don't ask about dinner, please don't ask about dinner _is her internal mantra.

"Hey, I'm headed that way in about 10 minutes." Business. All business.

"Listen, Veronica, I think..." He stops talking.

"Helloooo? Spit it out there big guy." What's he not saying to her?

"Um, I think that we shouldn't be seen together tonight at the club. Pretend we don't know each other. You'll probably get more information that way. I'll make sure you know the right people to approach but don't let on that we know each other okay?"

"That's...probably a good approach...thanks. I'll see you, but not know you, within the half hour."

"We need to have a talk too, okay?"

She's so f'ing rusty. There are lines to be read between and she's not getting any of them.

"Oh...okay."

Ten minutes later, in classic adolescent fashion she tells her dad, "Can you just drop me off here? I'll walk the last block."

"You make me feel 40 again! Good luck honey. Remember, 'beer than liquor you'll never be sicker!'"

"Tremendous advice. Thanks dad."

She gets out of his old Honda and heads up the block to the club. What a dad! He knew better than to ask about Piz, she wouldn't have known what to say if he had.

The exterior of the club has kind of an industrial feel to it, you could probably drive by the place and not even realize it was a night spot. Problem number one? A black velvet rope and a line of people.

Texting: A LINE?

Quick response: "your name is on list, go to bouncer"

"Ooh...what's my cover? Penelope Pitstop? Hester Prinn?"

"Just plane ol' Veronica Mars."

Shoot, she could've enjoyed a new identity for the next couple of hours.

"Hi, I believe I'm on the list...Veronica Mars?"

She is surprised to discover that the club is actually subterranean. Here at the entrance there is an L-shaped balcony that overlooks a huge space below. A massive chandelier hangs in the distance. Steam punk, she thinks that's how you'd describe it. Chalk one up for Dickie, this place is amazing. She descends the staircase scanning the room for Logan, simultaneously bracing herself for Dick. She's not seeing either one but this is a big place it could take a while to happen upon them. Wow, there are a lot of really beautiful people here, she needs a drink. Before she has the chance to ferret out the bar, there is a guy standing in front of her with 2 full martini glasses looking frothy and pink.

"I saw you at the top of the stairs and decided you needed a Cosmopolitan. My name's Nick."

"Well Nick, I don't drink anything that I haven't watched be made by my own two eyes, but thanks anyway." Nick, my man, you are gorgeous. Truly. But you couldn't pay me to take that drink.

"I can respect that! What's your name?" He alternates taking sips out of each glass and she wishes she had a trustworthy beverage of her own.

"Lulu...is my name." What the hell, it will be refreshing to NOT be Veronica for a little while.

A clearly inebriated guy comes crashing up beside Nick, "Fucking-A Nick! She's fucking beautiful! You're fucking beautiful. How come the good-looking rich guys always get the hottest fucking chicks?"

"Where are my manners, Lulu, my plastered best friend Carter. Carter? Get lost, I don't need your help." Nick is kind of charming.

Carter sulks and stumbles away, then some other asshole bumps into her from behind.

"Oh my goodness, miss, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Let me get you a drink on the house." He grins, waves a hand and a waitress is there in snap. "Just let Amber know what you'd like. Nick, my man, who is your lovely friend?"

"Logan!" Nick greats him cautiously "uh...this is...Lulu. Lulu, this is Logan Echolls, he's one of the owners here."

"Lulu huh? Nice to meet you LooooLoooo, what can Amber bring you?"

She widens her eyes at him, willing him not to make her laugh. Logan is wearing a simple black suit and white shirt, no tie, he looks really handsome. "Wow, that's so generous. I will have a...tequila sunrise..." It's the first "lulu" sounding drink that pops into her head, she's not really even sure what it is.

"Well, you two enjoy yourselves. Let us know if there's anything else you need. Very nice meeting you...Lulu." A subtle shake of his head, a big grin and he's off.

"Wow! Logan Echolls! He's pretty famous! I didn't know he owned this place." Amber returns with her drink and she sips it carefully. Hmmm, not bad.

"You know, some people are saying he killed Bonnie De Ville, his girlfriend, because she was cheating on him."

"Bonnie De Ville? The lead singer for Knight Bishop Rook? I heard she was murdered but I didn't know she was dating Logan Echolls! People tell me all the time that I live under a rock, I guess it must be true. He looks so harmless!" Harmless her ass. "The band must be devastated!"

Nick turns and points to a booth, "He's not harmless and she's not devastated." There sitting to next Logan is, she assumes, Ruby Jetson. Jet black hair, pale white skin, black dress, tons of theatrical eye makeup. Logan's arms span the back of the booth, he is smiling, relaxed and hanging on Ruby's every word. You're supposed to be watching Ruby Veronica. Not Logan. Her first observation about Ruby is that she is totally in love with Logan and if that's true then Ruby probably isn't too sad about Carrie. Logan looks her way and gives her a little nod. This is your mark, come and get her. He puts a hand on Ruby's upper arm then leans forward to kiss her gently on the cheek. He says something to her then smiles, gets up and walks away. His smile is always a little disconcerting, maybe because it was a bit of a rarity when they were together. She'd like to see it more. She needs to dump handsome Nick and get over to Ruby.

Nick presses on, "So what do you do?"

Ah...maybe this will be enough to get rid of him, "I'm a lawyer."

"Wow!" Yep, that seems to have dissuaded him - she bets he'd like the rescue of his drunken wingman right about now. He's close to walking away, she just needs one more turn-off...

Conveniently, her phone vibrates.

"It was nice meeting you Nick, excuse me, I need to take this call."

Answering as she walks away from Nick and in the general direction of Ruby.

"Good timing!"

"I'm keeping an eye on you...LuLu. Just...Ruby is an odd duck, know that going in."

Click and he's gone. She wonders where he's watching her from.

Ruby is now sulking, her knees are together but her feet are apart, toes pointing inward. She looks likes she's twelve.

"Excuse me, are you Ruby Jetson? I am such a huge, huge fan of yours! Could I possibly get your autograph?"

"No."

Her head is down and her arms are lax at her side. She is weird. Or...something is not right. She was fine with Logan but she wasn't watching her while she repulsed Handsome Nick. "Miss Jetson? Are you okay?"

Ruby labors to lift her head. "You are a very fuzzy person." Ruby is slurring her words, she has definitely been drugged.

Ms Jetson, I think someone has drugged you, we should probably get you to a hospital.

"Yes! Someone did drug me! You know who? Hoooo? It was Logan. Logan Echolls."

"What!? How do you know it was Logan Ruby?" How is that even possible? Why? Panic starts to creep in.

"Because he's so charming, he infects you, like a drug. But it doesn't last and he doesn't love me and that SUCKS so...I had a little something, something in my purse...and now I feel better...you're fuzzy but you're very pretty. Oh, you wanted my autograph. Do you have a pen? I could sign your body." Ruby reaches out with her finger and tweaks her nose. Oh my gosh, she's hitting on me! She took the drugs voluntarily? Why would anyone want to feel this way on purpose, such a complete lack of control! Veronica doesn't even like getting a little tipsy after too much wine, she definitely doesn't understand the drug culture.

Out of curiosity, "Ruby, where do you get your stuff? Who's your supplier?"

"There are a couple of guys here that you can get stuff from. I Luke like." She giggles. "Like...Luke..."

"Is Luke here right now, can you point him out to me?"

Ruby points across the room and Veronica recognizes him. Luke Haldeman. Figures. "Ruby, did your entire band buy from Luke?"

"He was practically Bonnie's puppy, got her stuff all the time. Mostly weed, sometimes coke but nothing heavier than that. Malcolm doesn't do drugs, but he is a nasty drunk."

"Have you talked to Malcolm, do you know where he might be tonight?"

"Nope, I haven't seen or talked to him since Bonnie died..."

Veronica does not want Luke to see or recognize her. Keeping her back to him she calls Logan.

"Hey, Ruby is trashed, she took something after you left. Did you know Luke Haldeman is dealing in here?"

"Not a surprise. That's a really hard thing to police in here. Is Ruby okay?"

"I think so, I guess. I don't think I'm going to get much more out of her though. I do want to investigate Luke a little more and his connection to Carrie. I want to make sure he doesn't see me tonight so I better take off. Can you call me a cab?"

"I'll take you home. Give me 10 minutes for the valet to get my car and meet me out front."

"Okay. Can you find someone to stay with Ruby until she sobers up? I can't leave her like this."

"Uh...sure."

Veronica climbs the stairs and finds a pillar to stand next to, then peers over the balcony into the crowd. At a distance she can see Luke. He's laughing and schmoozing. Amber the waitress, without a tray, comes and sits next to Ruby. Ruby paws at her, clearly still libidinous. Poor Ruby. Poor Amber. Or who knows, maybe a match made in heaven. This has probably been enough time, she exits the club. Logan is sitting in his car but it's off to the side just a little bit.

She jumps in, assuming they're going to speed off but Logan pauses a moment then from between the seats he pulls out a small bouquet of flowers.

"For you."

"Flowers? Why flowers?"

"Anyone named LuLu should be surrounded by flowers all of the time." Now he speeds off.

It is a beautiful night in Neptune. The sky is cloudless, the stars are twinkling. Wind is blowing through her hair as they drive. She sneaks a look to her left, he has shed HIS black jacket so is now just in his crisp white shirt. She is exhilarated. Tonight was FUN, she feels alive again for the first time in a long time. Contentment looks very different for different people and for her this is it. She doesn't want him to see it, her contentment, so she turns away from him, unable to suppress her smile. She can feel him look her way and she knows he can sense it.

He glances at her as she turns the other way. She's smiling. God, why can't they bottle this and keep it forever. But they can't. She is in Jeopardy and it's all his fault.

Veronica answers her phone out of her pocket

"Wallace!" She's in a great mood.

"I'm sorry, Wallace." Uh oh, everything just changed, her smile has faded and she's slumped a little in her seat..."I don't mean to hurt him Wallace but, we've got a lot of stuff to figure out, which I promised him we would once we're back in New York... This doesn't have anything to do with him...I am NOT stringing him along...that's not fair Wallace..._he's_ your friend too...that is not what I said...I'm almost at my dad's house...yes, he is..."

Veronica pulls the phone away from her ear and stares at it. "It would appear that Wallace is at the house and says he needs a private word with you."

As they approach the bungalow Logan can see Wallace is parked in the driveway, leaning against his car, arms folded over his chest. He pulls up against the curb across the street and puts the car in park. "Veronica, stay here."

"But..."

"No buts."

He gets out of the car and approaches Wallace.

"Wallace?"

Wallace speaks quietly enough to make sure Veronica can't hear him from across the street. He does poke him in the chest a couple of times. "Listen up dude. You need to just stay away from Veronica. She's got a good thing going with Piz in New York with a good career ahead. Don't step in and fuck this up for her. I thought it might be okay, her trying to get you out of this jam, but it's not. I'll get Keith to help you out with clearing your name but keep Veronica out of it."

"Yeah, you're right, man. I was just about to tell her to drop my case. I'll stay away from the reunion tomorrow night, then they fly back to New York on Sunday."

"Yeah, okay." He can tell Wallace is a little flummoxed by his acquiescence. Wallace walks around to his car door, points a final finger at him then gets in his car, backs out of the driveway and takes off.

Veronica is out of the car, she must've started to make a move to come over then thought better of it. He walks back to her.

"I am so sorry, Wallace sooo overreacted."

"It's okay Veronica. He's right."

"He's right about what?"

"Can we go inside, not do this in the middle of the street."

"Yes...but what are we doing?"

"Come on" he leads her by the elbow and takes her inside and they sit at the dining room table.

"I shouldn't have asked you to do this. This isn't who you are anymore. I think you should enjoy the reunion tomorrow night, then you and Piz should go back to New York and live happily ever after." He watches her carefully, trying to gauge her reaction.

"If you think I'm going to drop this, you're crazy."

His heart skips a beat, just knowing that she is so doggedly willing to go to bat for him is enough to sustain him. He's trying to pick his next carefully chosen words when something catches his attention out of the corner of his eye. At the end of the table is a pile of mail, some of it opened, some of it not, and slightly separate from the pile is a Manila envelope.

Veronica follows his gaze.

"What's wrong? What do you see?"

He reaches for it but the pile is closer to her and she grabs it. "What is this? You seem to know what this is. It's addressed to me...why would I get mail here?"

He is unable to speak while she opens it but keeps her eyes on him. Out comes a yellow piece of paper, folded in half. She opens it and removes something from inside.

"What does it say?"

She turns the paper to face him - it simply says LEAVE! She turns the photo around as well, it's of Logan, his face crossed out in red marker.

"Logan, did you get something like this?"

He nods.

"Mine said to be careful, I wouldn't want to lose another girlfriend. There was a picture of you...that was stolen from my house."

"That's why you're trying to get me to go back to New York ASAP?"

"I'm just trying to protect you Veronica. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Well I've got news for you buddy. Nothing is going to happen to me...or you...and I'm going nowhere!"


End file.
